A Raven Watching The Moon
by Hallow39
Summary: When the Half-Demon, Raven, falls in love with a mysterious boy, it will lead her and her entire team through a series of events that will change them forever, as they discover a world once completely hidden shadows. What will happen to the most reclusive member of the team when she is forced to finally confront her inner-most feelings?
1. 1-1: DEFENDER

___AUTHOR'S NOTE:____ This story takes place a couple of years after the events of the Teen Titans TV series. The entire gang has remained a team and Terra is back as a member as well, with both her memories and powers back. This story will primarily revolve around Raven and my OC character. Enjoy_

_**ACT 1: OMENS**_

_CHAPTER 1: DEFENDER_

"You know, at this rate, you're never going to get a date to the dance next month. You really should go up and talk to a few people" Spoke a black-haired boy.

The words came out more friendly than one might think, each phrase carefully chosen as the boy with the jet-black, windswept hair spoke with a wide smile. Beside him trotted a girl with deep-blue colored locks, left straight and covering her face in a very shy fashion. The boy displayed a fashion that labeled him as "popular" while the blue-haired girl could easily be labeled "goth" by the appearance of her very dark clothing. And yet, they easily waltzed down the hallway of their high school as good friends, despite the strong difference of cliché.

"Easy for you to say. You already have Starfire, and Garth is still chasing after Terra. Even Cy- has a few who would willingly go with him. Not many people are willing to talk to someone like...me..." The girl said in a brooding tone. It wasn't so much pessimism as simply trying to avoid thinking on the subject all together.

"Well...Rachael...you just have to find someone similar to you..." The boy stopped when he realized that what he had just said wouldn't help in the slightest. Only the sudden yell of a teacher was able to save him from further damaging his friend's confidence...or rather, her willingness to even try to go to the dance.

"Dick Grayson! Get over here this instant!" Yelled the balding teacher as he leaned out the door of the computer lab. Dick sighed and shrugged his shoulders, waving as he left to see what the teacher wanted. Rachael, seeming rather careless and brooding, continued to drift down the hall. She couldn't help but wonder how the teacher would treat Dick if he knew that he was, in fact, Robin of the Teen Titans from Jump City. Actually...how would anyone here react if they knew the Teen Titans were attending a public high school in secret, almost 50 miles away from their home. _They would probably all just turn into fan girls and make life generally annoying. Thank the spirits that no one here is smart enough to recognize us. _Raven thought to herself. In her inner musing, she didn't notice the rather tall individual standing in her path. She ran directly into him, and by the sudden grunt and clenching of teeth as he whipped around, it was evident that he was not at all happy about it.

"Watch where you're goin', freak!" The boy grunted. "Eww, you got goth all over me...How do you plan on payin' me back?!" He mocked, wiping at his shirt and walking forward as he attempted to seem as tall and looming as possible to scare "Rachael" into a corner. Of course, being Raven of the teen titans, she wasn't scared at all. In fact, she was a little confused. How could she possibly rub a stereotype onto someone who was already so covered in stereotype that it was sickening? But, she was aware that smart remarks would do nothing against someone with such...blunt...intelligence, and well...powers weren't really an option either. She couldn't do much else except attempt to keep a decent distance away from the large ogre. As her back came in contact with the wall, however, that seemed futile as well.

The gleam of a metallic wristband and a long pale arm appeared from no where, coming in to separate the high-testosterone jock from his target. Raven looked up, surprised that anyone might try to come to her aid. At first she didn't recognize the boy. Upon getting a closer look at him, though, she berated herself for not realizing who it was in the first place. The dark, shaggy hair on his head starkly contrasted his vividly pale skin, and his tall, lean body looked as if it was almost lifeless on the inside. Most memorable of all, though, were his eyes. Deep, piercing eyes of a bright silver color, and right now they were filled with strong anger. Raven could easily feel the strong, negative emotions rolling off of him as he stared at the jock with cold, unwavering conviction. It was Jackson, a classmate of hers. He was always very reserved, always very mysterious, and one of the smartest people in the class.

"Step away from Rachael, before I decide to give you an injury that will ruin your dreams of having a basketball career. Or, if you'd prefer, I could just give you a head injury that might give you a real excuse for that stupidity of yours." He said in an emotionless tone.

As much as the want-to-be bully wanted to challenge Jackson's statement, the shiver that it sent down his spine was enough to show that it was time to quit, at least for today. He had last the verbal show-down and both knew it. Raven breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the dumbfounded jock turn and leave. Jackson had unknowingly saved her from having to give more meaning to the name "freak".

"...Thank you..." Raven breathed out, a bit hesitant to thank the guy who, up until now, she had been too nervous to ever speak more than a sentence to. And now here he was...standing up for her.

"Of course, it was no problem. Be sure to let me know if he gives you any more problems..." Jackson spoke plainly, nodding his head briefly before turning and walking away with a slight smile.

As he departed, soon Raven realized she wanted to keep talking with him, if only to learn more about why he seemed so mysterious, but couldn't think of anything to say to him to get him to chat. Instead, she just watched him walk down the hallway as a rare shade of pink rose into her cheeks, visible against the dark make-up that covered her skin. Behind her, she could hear Robin's tell-tale footsteps as he came up beside her, both confused and, for some reason, very cheery. Perhaps he was happy that whatever it was the teacher had wanted, it had ended quickly.

"Hey, Rachael, what was that all about?" He asked hurriedly, a bit worried that something might have happened

"It was nothing. I simply got to watch a classmate freak out the local bully." She spoke without much care as the two began to walk toward the lunchroom. Robin's questioning stare, though, would not let the subject disappear. Raven glanced back and sighed, admitting defeat. "...He...defended me..." She said finally as she felt the pink coming back into her cheeks, and a strange, flighty feeling filling her chest. Robin, with his keen eyes, easily noticed and in his surprise couldn't help but bend over laughing. He instantly stopped though when he looked up to find Raven's burning gaze directly over him.

"Dick, if you say _anything_, I will give you some very unpleasant nightmares tonight..." She seethed.

"Alright, alright, Rachael. Its really not that bad, though. You should properly thank him. I know, get him to come out and have some pizza with us! I kind of want to meet the guy who stood up for you." Robin suggested keenly. Raven would be much more likely to agree if she had them around to help blunt the awkwardness. He was more interested, though, in the fact that he may have just discovered a way to get Raven to go to the dance rather than the face that she had just been confronted by a high-school bully.

"No! No no no no no...I-I couldn't. There's no way I could ask him to do something like that, he...he probably doesn't even like pizza." She said hurriedly, though she knew otherwise. She had seen Jackson in the lunchroom enough to know that he did, in fact, love pizza quite a bit.

"If you don't, I'll just tell Garth all about how you got so embarrassed just now. I'm sure he'd love to have some fun with that news. But, really Rachael...Its rare to see you like this. You should try asking him to come hang with us. What harm is there in trying?"

_Plenty of harm s_he thought to herself, but it was no use arguing with Robin. She sighed, giving in as she shot him a death-glare. "I will make you regret this". Robin simply laughed as they approached the lunchroom, where the rest of their group already had a table waiting.

* * *

`"Hahahahaha, wait, wait, you _saved_ Rachael? No way! And she didn't beat the crap out of you or anything like that? I guess the 'Jock's' on him! ...Get it? Hahaha" Beastboy blurted out, laughing in his seat as parts of his pizza flew everywhere. Both Beastboy and Cyborg were using technology that helped them appear normal, though to say they acted normal was a bit of a stretch. Everyone else at the table was, at least, somewhat normal. Robin and Starfire, both easily attuned to current fashion, were dressed to impress and stood out against the normal pizza customer. Terra was too busy devouring her own pizza to notice the awkward stares she was getting from other customers. Meanwhile, Raven was slowly nibbling on her own slice, constantly glancing at Jackson out of the corner of her eye.

"I just didn't think Rachael deserved to be picked on like that. So, I...stepped in. Besides, she recommended me a good book, once. It was a good chance for me to return the favor..." Jackson replied plainly, as if trying to dodge the question. Despite how nervous he looked, he was finally starting to relax a little around the group of friends, thanks in part to the joking going on. Jackson glanced down at his metal wristband and smiled lightly with a relieved expression when he saw that no significant activity was emanating from it.

"You...liked that book? I wasn't sure if you were actually going to read it..." Raven spoke out before going quiet, her attention now away from her pizza.

"Yea, it had some very interesting historical 'myths', though I may have a book for you that can top that one. There are some fascinating stories in Norse mythology that you might enjoy" Jackson offered.

Robin, Starfire, Beastboy, and Cyborg all glanced at each other, thinking the same exact thing. For them to see their friend Raven, who was always so quiet, dark, and reclusive, getting so easily embarrassed by a boy...there was no chance that they would let this go normally. A few well-thought-up plans to stir things up would allow them to relish seeing Raven in this rare state. Sadly enough, though, they didn't need a plan of their own for things to get stirred up.

A sudden explosion rang out in the nearby street, followed by ghoulish, bone-chilling howl. Robin instinctively looked up and gazed upon what resembled a werewolf: tall, covered in matted gray fur, muscular, and with a snout and bone structure to further indicate the guess. He didn't even have to spend an ounce of brain power to know what to say next. "Titans, Go!". But...no one had a chance to make a move as a fireball was launched at their table and exploded directly in front of them, sending metal, glass, and splattered cheese everywhere. Each of the group was launched in a different direction, though most of them had enough training and instinct to defend themselves from the blunt of the damage. All of them except one.

"Ewwww. I don't want to be covered in pepperoni! Why couldn't I be covered in cheese? Then I could be...cheeseboy!" Beastboy blurted as he swiped pieces of pepperoni and sauce off of his clothes, his skin now back to it's original green color.

"Man, why can't we have any normal villains? Like...just some bank-robber with bombs or a guy with super strength. But nooo, we have to go up against a werewolf who chucks fireballs! Its gonna take me forever to clean this sauce off my tech..." Cyborg complained as he stood up, shaking his head and taking several heavy footsteps forward, his technological cloak gone as well.

"Because normal villains are smart enough to know not to face us. Lets get this guy dealt with before he decides to open a hole in any more pizza joints..." Robin retorted, cracking his knuckles and pulling out his staff. "Now, first, Raven I want you to...oh..."

Raven was too busy kneeling over the limb body of Jackson to care about what else was going on. His lack of motion told Robin that he had been knocked out cold, though he was certain he wasn't dead, or else Raven would be having a very different reaction at the moment. Raven was bent over him, making sure he was perfectly ok, pausing when she noticed a strange wound. "Why did this have to happen now? I was actually having...fun...but...what...what is this?" She ran her finger over a deep gash that had been cut into Jackson's arm by one of the pieces of glass. What was strange was that there was not a single drop of blood escaping from the wound, as if his veins were completely dry. He didn't even have a pulse...yet all his other body functions were occurring normally. What was more, his wound was healing as if it was stitching itself together, albeit at a very slow pace, rather than scabbing like a normal wound...and his wristband was pulsing with black energy. Her eyes were wide and couldn't look away, despite the on-going battle. "...Jackson...what are you?" Raven whispered to herself, stuck between curiosity as to this new piece of information and worry over if Jackson would be alright. She had her mind made up, though. As more fireballs flew around her, she twisted around and threw up a dome of energy around herself and Jackson...determined to protect him as he had done for her.

"You just stay there and defend him, Raven. The rest of us can handle this. The rest of you know what to do. Titans, Go!" Robin blurted a second time, almost worried a second explosion might interrupt him again. But there wasn't one...at least, not one aimed directly at them. Robin leapt into the air, his staff held high over his head as he arched toward the fiery werewolf. The beast's gaze was locked onto robin, a fireball waiting to be launched right into his attacker's face...leaving him completely open to the gut-crushing rhino charge that was sent right into his flank. With this attack by Beastboy, the werewolf was left dazed enough for Robin to make contact with his initial attack, the metal staff making connection with the opponents head. Cyborg let loose a burst from his sonic canon, hurtling the beast into the air as Starfire followed up with an over the head blow that rocketed him back into the ground. All that was left was for Terra to encase the dazed and battered attacker in a cage of stone. Given the devastating series of attack he had just received, it was more than likely unnecessary.

"What was with that creatuee? Its rare to see a random mutated beast like that just wandering around and destroying buildings, especially in this area of town. I wonder if there is someone else behind this..." Robin thought to himself as he walked back over to where Raven and Jackson were. He eyed Jackson's still limp body and Raven, continually trying to come up some way to help him. His eyes followed her line of site down to the strange bloodless wounds, filling him with same questions she had. Raven, both depressed and angry, raised Jackson off the ground on a platform of energy as she began the slow trek back to Titan Tower.

"Oh, is he going to be ok? Should would take him to the hospital? I do hope our new friend has suffered no injuries..." Starfire asked out of concern, hovering over Raven and looking at the limp body.

Robin tugged her back to the ground, his shaking head telling her to stay a distance away from Raven. "No, we are going to take him to the tower, just for the moment. We have better medical equipment there anyways, and we owe our new friend that much. Cyborg, I'll need you to prep the room when we get back...and...figure out some way to keep him from learning who we really are when he wakes up..." Robin said, thinking out loud as he glanced at Raven.

Cyborg nodded with slight frustration, obviously wondering how he could keep their secret away from Jackson, though he was still willing to try to find a way. Everyone had seen how Raven had defended Jackson, the person she had supposedly not even wanted to talk to. They were determined to find a way to keep these two friends, if only in the hopes that she might finally have found someone to understand her. As much as they hated to admit it, after the events so long ago with Trigon, it felt as if Raven had kept a slight distance away from anything social.


	2. 1-2: RETURN OF GUILT

_CHAPTER 2: RETURN OF GUILT_

Jackson had remained unconscious longer than everyone had expected, his metal wristband continuing to pulse with a faint-black, crackling energy. Cyborg had discovered several more severe wounds on Jackson from the blast that had occurred hours earlier, but refrained from any treatment. Somehow, it seemed, the healing of Jackson's wounds, his continued unconsciousness, and the glowing wristband were all linked. While his physical body remained sound asleep, whatever energy he had could be focused on repairing the damage done to him. Raven had stubbornly chosen to watch over her friend from a nearby chair as long as she could, but as the afternoon progressed to evening, sleep had washed over her from simple exhaustion. From the restlessness of her tossing and the faint sounds she made, though, it was obvious she did not yet feel at ease about the earlier event. Perhaps she felt it was her fault that he had gotten hurt, though no one else seemed quite as worried about that specifically. Cyborg typed away at a nearby medical computer, operating a biotic scanning system remotely in hopes he could find out some info about Jackson while he was still asleep. The frustrated expression on his face was clue enough that he had yet to make any major break-through. Robin entered the medical room, his unreadable expression a sign that he had been hard at work on something not too long ago.

"How is it going, Cyborg? Have you found anything out yet about Raven's new friend?" Robin asked speculatively, his hands tucked into his pockets as he glanced over at Raven, who was still asleep.

"Well, I've completed the biometric scan, but I honestly can't make heads or tails of this data. I can tell you a few things though, but it won't be much. I think I may end up needing Raven's help to make sense of this...once she wakes up..." Cyborg stated, signs of exhaustion leaking into his tone. Everyone was tired, but they all were willing to put in some extra effort to ensure things were okay with Jackson. The last thing they wanted was for someone to get hurt because of them.

"Wait, why do you need Raven's help on medical data? Is he part demon?" Robin questioned once more, a bit intrigued now.

Cyborg sighed, shaking his head. "Well... I don't know what he is Robin. But I can easily tell you this: he is not human. You see that glowing wristband of his? That thing is some kind of combination of dark sorcery and modern technology. It has some runes crafted into the circuitry similar to what I've seen Raven use. I still don't know much about its true function, but I was able to figure out a few things..." Cyborg explained. He twisted in his chair and rolled over to Jackson's body, to get a better look at it and point things out to Robin.

"Alright, the thing is, this guy doesn't have a working circulatory system. He has veins, and a heart, but neither of them are working like they should. Not a single ounce of blood is flowing through his body, and yet the rest of it is working just fine. He has a few extra abnormal organs, and some strange things going on with his nervous system...but I really don't get why he has a heart that doesn't work at all. At the moment, his wristband is supplying him with some kind of exotic energy that is keeping him alive. It is highly likely he would die if that thing was ever destroyed or removed. It's almost as if he is a magical version of a cyborg...what do you want to do, Robin?" Cyborg didn't seem at all worried about if Jackson was trustworthy or not, but its was obvious that Robin was skeptical of it by his clenched expression and lowered eyebrows.

"I'm a little worried that we may have a new group of villains after us. I mean, what's the likelihood of finding a guy like this and that mutant werewolf in an area with almost no previous criminal activity. We can let these two rest for now, and brief the team on the details in the morning. I will take Jackson over to a nearby hospital later tonight, so that he wont learn our secret...and to give him a chance to keep his, whatever it may be..." Robin said out loud, still obviously trying to think of some better plan that could top that one.

"You know full well that Raven won't be too happy about that. We already got this dude hurt, and now you are treating him... like a suspect. I guess I can see why you are a bit skeptical of him, though. We did only just meet him. He was an awesome guy to chat with, but there is something very mysterious surrounding Jackson..." Cyborg commented, though when Robin questioned him for more, he refused to continue the subject.

With everyone else now asleep, Robin was able to take Jackson's unconscious body out of the tower and over to a Hospital near their high school. It was the best option. They didn't know enough about Jackson, so he posed a risk. All of his wounds had healed up and he was no longer in any danger, so he just told the doctors that his friend had fainted, and since he didn't know where he lived, that he wanted him to stay here so that the medical professionals could keep an eye on him. Robin only hoped that they wouldn't go poking around in Jackson's body. The ride back to the tower was calm, cold, and serene, with a moon shining high in the sky. In the distance, a raven released a deep, sad caw before flying away into the night sky.

* * *

Raven awoke to the sound of Starfire's joyous laughter...a sound that would never cease to irritate her. She could hear more commotion outside, but the enormous headache that was pounding within her skull kept her from focusing enough to hear the details. Standing up, she began to rub the sleep from her eyes as the room finally came into focus. Seeing the absence of Jackson on the medical table was all that was required to jolt her to being fully awake. She instantly stormed out of the room to confront her friends in the main living room. "Where is he? What did you do with Jackson?" She seethed furiously, her temper rising.

"Calm down Raven, I took him to the hospital last night. As far as he knows, he got a concussion and is probably awake and back home by now. I was just discussing with the rest of the team the details of what we found out, and how best to approach him now..." Robin replied plainly, trying his best to calm Raven down before she decided to destroy something.

"Wait...what do you mean?"

"Robin, Jackson is our friend. He would never do harm to us, nor Raven. We should go get him and offer him more of the glorious pizza!" Starfire interjected, gripping Robin's hand in hopes that she could use their love to win him over to her side of the argument.

"I don't know...It was a little weird that the freaky werewolf knew to find us right at the pizza joint..." Terra commented. Beast boy looked at her and nodded in agreement, simply out of hopes that Terra wouldn't attack him for disagreeing with her.

"You can't be saying that you think Jackson is a criminal. You have no proof. Those two events were completely unrelated, and what was more, he got hurt. You are just looking for some new people to fight, since its been so long since we had a good challenge..." Raven hissed out, words laced with subtle anger. She refused to believe her new friend from high school was in any way evil, not after seeing how he had defended her not but a few days ago.

"Raven, I'm sorry, but you have to look at this logically. How else would that werewolf had known where and when to find us? He had to have been tipped off...and Jackson easily could have been the source of the tip. We don't even know who or what he really is. Right now he is a prime suspect."

"Friends, why do we not just go visit Jackson at his home? If we do that, we could learn more things about him that will give us our answers, and besides, would he not expect a visit after being knocked out and waking up to find that we were not around?" Starfire quickly suggested, smiling widely as she glanced at everyone.

Everyone else was dumbfounded. They were utterly surprised that Starfire had come up with such an obvious...yet easily great idea, and it was quickly agreed upon that it was the best and safest course of action to take. They all knew that they needed to know more, and as much as they hated to admit it, it was likely that Robin and Terra's logic was right. They probably had a new enemy hunting them down, with Jackson as the spy. The only person who refused to accept it was Raven, who turned and drifted away, shoulders slumped in depression as she felt her hopes of having a happy life in high school slowly drift away.

* * *

Figuring out Jackson's address had been an easy task for Robin, and the group had eagerly set out as soon as they could. But the plume of smoke that rose in the distance easily told them that they hadn't left soon enough. The team hastened, but Robin couldn't help but think: _were we too late? Has Jackson already attacked someone, or covered up his own trail? _But, as they got closer, those thoughts were soon replaced by others. The fire trucks and police cars were soon about to leave, but already a grim scene was taking shape in their eyes. "Oh no..." Robin uttered. They ran up to the charred house, Jackson's house, eying the crumbling wood and blackened stone...as if a bomb had been set off right in the middle of it. Robin's keen eyes already were able to spot out more subtle signs of what had happened, even before entering the house.

"I'm an idiot...a complete idiot. You were right Raven... I wanted a new enemy for us...I thought, logically, that some new enemy was after us...I never stopped to realize that the werewolf hadn't come to find us. No one is after the Teen Titans...they were after Jackson..." Robin muttered sadly.

The team was hesitant to go into the house, until Raven stepped forward silently and emotionlessly into the debris. She wasn't showing it, but everyone was aware of just how pissed off she was right now, though who she was pissed off at, they weren't sure. Looking around, the signs of a brawl became clear. Though most of the wood in the house had burned away, the stone still kept easy record of any damage that had occurred to it. Scorch marks from energy blasts, holes punched into the walls, and objects destroyed in ways that could not be accomplished by fire. Someone had come to Jackson's home, attacked him, and then destroyed anything they could before leaving with him. The absence of a body was enough for them to be assured that Jackson was, in fact, still alive. But that piece of information didn't make the guilt they felt any less.

Raven, perhaps the one who felt the worst at the moment, drifted around and tried as best she could to imagine in her mind's eye what Jackson's home was like...what it would have been like for him when he was not at school. She had watched him out of the corner of her eye for a long time, probably ever since she started going to that high school. But only now was she beginning to learn who he really was. "I really wanted to know more about you...to become your friend, but I was scared...what normal person would want to be friends with a half-demon. Only super-heroes could ever do that...yet, I still feel the need to follow you...I want to learn about you..." She said to herself sadly. Would Jackson have to be hurt even more in trade for her learning more about him? Which option would she pick, if given the choice? These questions plagued her mind, threatening to drive her into rage...that is, until she stumbled upon some of Jackson's possessions that had remained intact. A few piles of undamaged clothes, some personal items that she didn't know the meaning of, and a stack of books on ancient mythology, sorcery, and archaic runes, as well as the one she had recommended to him. Her cheeks flushed to a shade of pink when she realized she was going through his stuff without him knowing, so she quickly dug out a duffel bag that was still intact and carefully placed everything inside. Carrying it protectively, she stepped forward toward the rest of the group.

"Yo! I found some footage from a security camera across the street that survived the blast!" Cyborg called out. Everyone rushed to see what he had found, bending over to watch as they tried their best to get out every detail they could. Slowly, worry and surprise came back into their expressions as they realized that the scope of things had just increased.

"I don't believe it. It's that crazy bastard, doctor light...and working with him is..." Beastboy said out loud, but was cut off by Robin as he finished his chain of thought.

"...Slade..."


	3. 1-3: DEATH STROKE

_CHAPTER 3: DEATH STROKE_

"Ok everyone, we have a kidnapping case...and it was due to my negligence that this happened to someone who easily could have been a friend. We are up against Dr. Light and Slade. I need everyone working on leads. They got the drop on us...now we are going to do the same to them!" Robin spoke out in one of his rallying speeches, trying his best to display a confident posture despite feeling extremely guilty that all of this had happened because he thought Jackson was a suspect in that random attack.

The silence that enveloped each member of the team was proof enough of the fear that still resided in their hearts, fear of the greatest adversary that ever confronted them since they became a team in the first place. Even the Brotherhood of Evil had fallen to the united teamwork of Titans around the world, however, Slade always had a way of coming back and out-witting them, of finding every little weakness and twisting it to his own gain. And now, he slithered out of hiding only to snag their new friend right from under them. Each member of the team was feeling a different form of responsibility to the situation at hand, each attempting to help out in their own way. After living peacefully for close to two years, they would not allow Slade to ruin it all.

Cyborg was busying himself by pouring over the medical data he had collected from Jackson, while simultaneously comparing it to any possible reason why someone might want to kidnap him. With six screens running at once, it was amazing that the light alone didn't make Cyborg dizzy, let alone the in-flow of data. Raven had provided him with a basic description of the runes that were found within Jackson's wristband, but Cyborg had yet to figure out much about the connection between the technology and the sorcery of it. But if Slade was after anything, he was certain it had something to do with the wristband.

Starfire, Beastboy, and Terra, being the most mobile ones of the group, were busy scouting the area around Jackson's home for more leads as to where he was taken. Starfire could easily fly above the city and cover large tracts of land within minutes to pick out major details and suspicious buildings. Beastboy had a nose that was hard to beat, and at the moment was more reliable than Raven's psychic tracking. Though Slade was hard to track, Doctor Light was a cinch, as his amateur level skills hadn't grown much over the years. Terra could easily explore the underground, and having served as Slade's apprentice once, she had an extensive knowledge of his ways of thinking that could only be rivaled by Robin himself.

Robin, at the moment, was busy typing away at a computer, eating away at research data and exploring every possible lead he could think of. It was beginning to get to the point that he was more focused on finding Slade rather than saving Jackson. Luckily, accomplishing one meant succeeding in the other. He was well aware of the risk that his obsession might return, and so kept himself in check by switching over to research on Doctor Light whenever he could. Even with this, though, the tax on his mind was evident.

No one was quite sure what Raven was up to, though they suspected she was trying to use psychic tracking to find Jackson, and she had not given them any reason to suspect otherwise. Her motionless, meditative posture levitated above the ground, allowing her to achieve a level of focus well above that of the others, despite the worry and frustration that was clouding her thoughts. Raven pulled out a small, shining black stone that was among Jackson's possessions she had saved, clutching it softly against her chest before allowing it to float out just in front of her, kept hovering in the air by her magic. With the preparations ready, all that was left was the spell.

"Asnarath Meverone Umbranon Sinte..." The string of spell words kept going, each syllable pronounced and reverberating with power, almost echoing on the walls and on the stone itself. Soon, she could feel herself forming an empathic connection with Jackson's personal item, and indirectly, a connection with him. Emotions began flowing into her, and pieces of thoughts and personality. Her cheeks faded to a red color once again, but this time she would not ignore it. She had begun to get used to this nervous, embarrassed feeling that accompanied any thought of Jackson, yet she could not quite understand it yet. Why was it that such a person was able to cause her to feel so...open. At this realization, she was tempted to pull away, to close herself off and protect her thoughts from being criticized...but she couldn't. Why was that? As the empathic connection with the stone grew stronger, a memory began to come into focus, likely one that was strongly tied to the stone itself, like how it was received. Raven, tempted to know more, delved in without any fear, ready to accept whatever it was she would see.

The surroundings were obscured in total darkness thick enough that one couldn't even make out their own body without help. The only clue that this memory was occurring outside, instead of in some locked room, was the gentle breeze that sailed through nearby trees, ruffling leaves and caressing the skin. Why there was no light from the moon, or stars, or even a street lamp, Raven was unsure. But she could feel the presence of two others, most likely the two that this memory was focused around. The cry of a young child, likely only one or two years of age, broke the silence of the darkness, followed by a shushing noise, and soothing sounds. _"Hush, my child, you must be brave..."_ It was a woman's voice, and as she paused, an ominous feeling began to wash over the scene. "_You are the moon, my son, unwavering and ever-watchful. You command the night...and the light you provide will prevent you from being consumed by it." __She paused a moment, holding back tears. "__Some days, you will be hidden in the shadows and safe from all the world...while other days your soft light will be visible for all to see. But fear not, little one...for the night will always watch over you. One day there may be a bird that may fly high enough to come and capture your heart. Never forget who you are...my Hallow...my saint..."_ The scene began to fade, but not before Raven was able to make out a faint, violet light emanated by a small stone. She could just barely make out the faces of the child and the mother, but could easily see the stone she was now holding. The mother handed it to the young child, smiling softly with a fanged grin as the memory ended. Had it been a parting gift?

Any further information that Raven was hoping to gleam from the strange stone was cut short as Robin called her and cyborg over. Raven stubbornly gave in and lowered herself to the ground, putting the stone into her pocket and walking over to see what it was that Robin had found out. The faces of the other three members could be seen on the main screen, all awaiting orders from the team leader.

"I haven't gotten any news about a hostage situation, nor has Slade called us to brag about a dead body, which means that he is using Jackson for...something else. He could be using Jackson to make a new apprentice...but I have yet to figure out how Doctor Light comes into play. Cyborg has detected abnormally high energy readings coming from an unused warehouse, and Beastboy has confirmed the trail leading there as well. Lets meet up nearby in twenty minutes." Robin explained promptly, before shutting off communication. Cyborg smiled in eagerness for the coming battle, shouting his trade-mark 'Hell Yea!' battle cry as he disappeared to prep the T-car. Robin turned toward Raven, his arms crossed with an expression of worry. "Raven, are you going to be ok on this? You've been acting pretty strangely since it all started. I don't want to see you make a mistake and get injured..."

"I'll be fine. I am not staying behind while Jackson has his life on the line..."

* * *

"Good Doctor, you are truly unique in your skills of dealing with an energy such as this. To think that a power source this strong existed within a physical body...even I would have never guessed. And to think, you even have enough courage to point threats at me..." Slade stood over a bruised and battered Doctor Light, his arms folded neatly behind his back as he paced around him in a circle. Dr. Light had a black eye, swollen shut and bleeding partially, as well as a damaged lip that sprouted a trail of blood down his neck. The fear in his eyes was all too real, and the lesson he had been taught by Slade was now burned deep into his memory. "Do your job, dear Doctor, and I will ensure you are rewarded properly. Please do not get any other...funny ideas..." Slade finished, likely smiling from underneath his mask as he stepped away. The whirring of gears and crackle of static electricity could be heard as a machine of massive proportions kicked on, followed by the deep, pain-filled screams of Jackson.

An explosion was heard nearby as metal was ripped wide open by a direct blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon. The 6 current members of the Titans quickly filed in, already entering a formation that seemed engraved into their memories despite the long period of time that they had not practiced it. Slade had played with them many times over the years, but now they were older, stronger...smarter. It wouldn't be as easy for Slade anymore...and yet his confident stance and the gleam in his eye still made it seem like he had the upper hand.

"Doctor Light and Slade, to think that you two scum would be working together. Give Jackson to us now and we promise to go easy on you..." Robin called out, his staff at the ready.

Slade didn't even flinch, though Doctor Light could be spotted scurrying off into a side room, likely the one that contained Jackson and the machine. "The Teen Titans...how lovely it is to see you all. Tell me, have you come to meddle in more things which you will never grasp the true meaning of? If you really wanted to play a part in the grand design, you simply could have asked...I have no problem making you into test subjects for my new weapon..."

"New weapon? What, have you turned another pour soul into one of your 'apprentices'" Terra shot back, eyes full of anger as her powers threatened to lose control.

"No, dear child, I have not. This boy is much too frail and weak for that. Rather, I have simply turned him into a sort of...battery..." Slade retorted, assuming a challenging posture. As much as he had not wanted the Titans to show, now he was starting to relish it, enjoying the ability to keep something from them.

"What have you done with Jackson!" Raven shot back, eyes glowing red as an ominous black aura began to surround her, her powers ready to surge forth at a single command. Within her pocket, Jackson's stone began to glow and crackle with violet light, as if it was angry along with her.

"The answer to that question is behind door number one, my dear..." Slade gestured with his hand, and beside him, what was originally a small door into another room slowly began to widen, as metal screeched and gears turned, sliding the entire wall apart right from the middle. Soon, another room just as big as the one they were all currently in could be seen, and right in the middle of it was a large, sinister machine. Jackson could be seen suspended by devices connected to his hands and feet, with a larger device encircling the wrist that his metal band was on. These devices, in turn, were connected to a large ring that hummed with energy, likely passing it to the generator that supported the whole system. A thick black cord snaked its way from the machine to a control panel and what resembled a sonic canon. Jackson squirmed and cried out as pain racked his entire body. His eyes were clenched shut, unaware of anything in his surroundings except the machine that was stealing his power...his life source. Even from a distance one could see the black, erratic energy been absorbed from the metallic wristband it spouted out angrily, as if ready to burst.

"Doctor Light, let us show these guests the results of our science experiment. Demonstrate for them the affects of black energy" Slade spoke out slyly.

"Yes, yes of course, to blast the Titans away using their own friend as the source...how wonderful!" Doctor light replied as he smiled from his place at the control panel. His palm hovered above the firing button for a second, before slamming down and activating.

The machine began to purr with even more enthusiasm, followed by the intensified screams of Jackson. He was able to catch his breath for brief moments, only to feel pain surge through his body once again as his life support weakened. Yet, he didn't show any sign of fear, only of the pain that filled him. As everyone stood there, rooted to the spot, they were unsure of what emotion to feel. Anger, worry, sadness, fear, or...caution. What kind of weapon is that Slade and Doctor Light could have made? But they weren't about to stick around to let that question be answered first-hand.

"Titans, Scatter!" Robin yelled out just in time as he watched the canon charge up.

The team spread out in several directions as the large canon filled with a black, static energy before releasing it in a single beam. No noise was emitted, no blast followed the release of the beam, just a large scorched spot on the ground, and the smell of decaying plants. Robin eyed the spot wide-eyed. Had the beam just killed the plants and bugs that lay below the concrete, without even making the tiniest hole in it? Some of the team members weren't quite sure what they had just seen, but they knew enough to avoid it. Raven, who had dived out of the way of the first blast, was slowly picking herself up after having accidentally knocked the wind out of herself. The machine whipped around and pointed itself straight at Raven, threatening to fire again as Doctor Light slammed his fist down on the firing button. Raven shut her eyes in preparation for the oncoming blast, halfway speaking the words to bring up an energy dome...but felt nothing.

"I...am...the moon. Un...wavering...and ever...watchful. I...command...the night. You...will be...consumed...by it..." Jackson forced out through shaky breaths, pausing occasionally as pain surged through him.

Raven could see him focusing, concentrating...drawing the black-energy back into his wristband and away from the canon before it had time to fire at her. The pain that accompanied it must have been immense, but to him, it was far better than watching someone die. Slade just stared, a bit surprised that his chosen tool had more will left in him than he had originally thought. Terra smiled widely, breaking the silence with a laughter as she stepped forward confidently toward the canon.

"You've got guts, Jackson. I like your style, so let me repay you in kind!" Terra raised two glowing fists into the air, copying off of Jackson's earlier phrase, as if a similar one already existed in her mind. "I am the mountain, mighty and immovable. Only those I choose may survive my avalanche!" Terra shouted happily as she dashed forward.

Hands raised, Terra concentrated deeply, summoning the inner depths of her power as she thought of what to do. Suddenly, several large pillars of earth shot upwards, breaking through concrete and smashing through both the canon and the energy gathering machine. A few smaller pillars targeted the devices holding Jackson in place, allowing him to collapse freely to the ground. With such a powerful single attack, Terra was forced down to her knees in exhaustion only to have Beastboy run up to her and give her his shoulder in support. The rest hesitated slightly at Terra's sudden display of strength, and then regained their composure as they rushed forth to use the small window of an advantage they had been given.

"Hmm...a small set-back, but the experiment was a success. I will see you around, Titans...have fun" Slade spoke in a sinister tone, ghosting down a hallway and out of sight.

"Jackson! Jackson, are you alright?" Raven called out as she rushed up to her friend's limp body, supporting his head on her lap as she gazed down into his pain-filled eyes with her own worried ones. He was alive, for the moment, but he was immensely exhausted and injured. Life was slowly returning to him, but his wristband would no longer stop crackling with black energy...a large crack had formed right through it. If it ever broke completely open, she was unsure what would truly happen.

"The...Teen Titans? It must be my lucky day..." Jackson spoke slowly, obviously tired and short on breath.

"Jackson, its me Rachael...don't you remember? It's me. You are ok now, we won't let Slade have you..." Raven replied, both happy and sad. For once, she felt she could speak completely openly, without fear of criticism. Likely because of the adrenaline.

"Rachael...it is you. I guess that means...we're even. But...that's the last time I ever go eat pizza with you guys..." Jackson joked sarcastically, coughing slightly. Raven chuckled as well, shaking her head. Jackson was ok, and he was not evil like everyone thought. There was hope, now.

The rest of the team: Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire, chased after Slade and Doctor Light. Cyborg and Starfire were able to apprehend Doctor Light with little effort, throwing him into hand-cuffs and dragging him over to where the rest of the group was. Robin had disappeared down a corridor, intent upon confronting his most hated enemy, though everyone knew easily enough that he would come back empty handed. He could handle himself, but he was still not at a high-enough skill level to take down Slade for good.

"Hey, are those two ok? They both look pretty worn out, and for good reason, too..." Cyborg questioned, as he used his own scanner to check for sure.

"Terra's ok, she just needs a bit of rest. I didn't know she knew poetry, though..." Beastboy commented with a laugh as he eyed the now sleeping Terra.

"I...think Jackson is ok...his wristband cracked, though. I'm going to stay with him to keep an eye on him..." Raven replied plainly, not trusting the others now to watch over him after everything that had just occurred. Jackson, like Terra, was also asleep now with Raven slowly stroking his forehead. When she looked up to see half her team watching her, she immediately stopped and her cheeks burned crimson.

"Alright, guys, lets get out of here and head back to the Tower. We all need some rest before we go into detail on all of this..." Robin stated matter-of-factly. Starfire glided over to him and hugged him, checking to see if her beloved was alright, though there was no need to ask what had happened. They all knew: Slade had, once again, escaped. But there was no stopping it, the injured took priority.

"What are we going to do with Jackson? This situation has become very complicated, and people might come after our dear friend..." Starfire questioned, her head tilted to the side.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, Jackson no longer has a home, he has enemies after him that we are familiar with, and he is a non-human in need of special care that a normal facility could never provide. Not only that, he has proven to be our friend. Why don't we invite him to stay in the Tower for awhile..." Robin suggested with a grin, eying Raven. It really was the perfect option. They could protect Jackson that way, learn more about him, provide him with a new home, and use it as an opportunity to continue to tease Raven. The blush that had popped into her cheeks was already a good clue to this.

"Alright, lets go home and parrrttty!" Beastboy yelled out.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:__ This marks the end of ACT 1, OMENS. If you see any spelling or grammatical mistakes, let me know and I will fix them. Please post in the reviews to tell me what you think so far or if you have any questions or thoughts about the story. Next act will be coming soon, titles LOOMING SHADOWS._


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